CAA Expansion

[Jojogunne]

Wouldn't playing the Northern teams twice (10 games) and the Southern teams once (6 games) make more sense that playing 10 Northern games and 12 Southern games for a total of 22 CAA games?

What do other large conferences do?

[Wags]

Wouldn't playing the Northern teams twice (10 games) and the Southern teams once (6 games) make more sense that playing 10 Northern games and 12 Southern games for a total of 22 CAA games?

Yes, that would make more sense in a split-division scenario, but like I said, that could get stale year after year. That's why I'd prefer to not have divisions and just rotate year-to-year who you play once vs. twice. The CAA had already done that in the past, with the same number (18) of conference games that are played now.

For instance, not to bring up bad memories, but in the 2005-06 NCAA tourney snub year, Hofstra had this conference schedule as one of 12 teams in the league:

Home & Away (14 games): Georgia State, Towson, UNCW, ODU, Northeastern, Drexel, Delaware
Home only (2 games): JMU, George Mason
Away only: (2 games): VCU, W&M

Sure, it's imbalanced, but the NFL's imbalanced every year and no one really complains, and it would at least probably be more interesting year-to-year than seeing the identical 10 vs. North + 6 vs. South conference schedule year after year.

What do other large conferences do?

It varies. Some do split divisions (like the ASun, with 12 teams), but some do something similar to the 2005-06 CAA example above (like the A10, with 14 teams or the ACC, with 15 teams - both of those leagues have everyone playing some conference opponents once, others twice, without separate divisions).

[Jojogunne]

Well, if one of the reasons for creating a 12-team conference with two divisions is to reduce travel costs, it would make sense to do the 10 and 6 schedule.

[Wags]

Well, if one of the reasons for creating a 12-team conference with two divisions is to reduce travel costs, it would make sense to do the 10 and 6 schedule.

Yeah, that's why I think it'll go that way. Just saying I'm not a fan of it. Would rather see what they did before with 12 teams in the CAA to keep in more interesting on an annual basis, but I doubt that'll happen.

[HUSID74]

I like that we would play the northern schools home and home. We need to build some local rivalries and get people in the stands.

[Wags]

I like that we would play the northern schools home and home. We need to build some local rivalries and get people in the stands.

In theory, sure. But this already happens every year with the current CAA schedule and HU has trouble drawing.

Look no farther back than this past weekend: HU played its two biggest rivals in program history, both northern CAA schools -- one the preseason pick to win the league this year, the other the No. 3 pick this year and the defending CAA champs -- back-to-back, in two big, very close games, and despite all that, they fell well short of the building capacity, even when adding the attendance of BOTH games COMBINED (1,465 and 1,106 for a two-game total of only 2,571).

Following what I mentioned above back when the CAA had 12 teams would still allow for home-and-away with most northern schools, most years. There might just be certain years when only one or two of those schools would be only home or away and a southern school or two might instead be home-and-away in those years. So you could still get the rivalries for the most part (not that those draw right now) and still some variety of opponents each year rather than the same tired schedule year after year.

[Jojogunne]

Covid probably kept some people away this weekend. The positivity rate is still pretty high.

[CTDutch]

Jeff Goodman
@GoodmanHoops

Stony Brook is a done deal to the CAA, source told
@Stadium
. CAA also set to add Hampton and Monmouth, and could still target anywhere from 2-4 more teams at some point. Final approval on Stony Brook, Hampton and Monmouth expected early next week

[Wags]

Per Jeff Goodman, confirming what we already knew was coming:
"Stony Brook is a done deal to the CAA. CAA also set to add Hampton and Monmouth. Final approval on Stony Brook, Hampton and Monmouth expected early next week."

And something we probably didn't:
"Could still target anywhere from 2-4 more teams at some point."

2-4 more beyond the 12 total after losing JMU and adding the three above? How big is this conference going to get?

[triplec2195]

Covid probably kept some people away this weekend. The positivity rate is still pretty high.

And there are people out there that aren't vaccinated and those that don't/won't where a mask thru an entire game. There's a security employee walking around and I actually saw him call someone out more then once telling them to pull there masks up. I thought this would be just a lip service thing but now it appears they're attempting to enforce it.

[Wags]

Covid probably kept some people away this weekend. The positivity rate is still pretty high.

Yeah, I considered that and it's very likely true.

However, Delaware and Drexel back-to-back most recently, pre-Covid was better but still not great or HU's two biggest rivals all-time... Jan, 2020: 2,291 and 2,453

Although, in terms of other future rivalry games in the new future CAA... Stony Brook pre-Covid (Dec 2020): 3,111 was not too bad (also, being in the same conference should draw more Stony Brook fans even at The Mack in the future). So that particular northern rivalry has potential to draw decently, but not too sure about the others based on the past track record.

[HofstraPride1]

Covid probably kept some people away this weekend. The positivity rate is still pretty high.

Yeah, I considered that and it's very likely true.

However, Delaware and Drexel back-to-back most recently, pre-Covid was better but still not great or HU's two biggest rivals all-time... Jan, 2020: 2,291 and 2,453

Although, in terms of other future rivalry games in the new future CAA... Stony Brook pre-Covid (Dec 2020): 3,111 was not too bad (also, being in the same conference should draw more Stony Brook fans even at The Mack in the future). So that particular northern rivalry has potential to draw decently, but not too sure about the others based on the past track record.

Either way I hope we play Stony Brook and Monmouth twice in new setup.

[EvanJ]

For instance, not to bring up bad memories, but in the 2005-06 NCAA tourney snub year, Hofstra had this conference schedule as one of 12 teams in the league:

Home & Away (14 games): Georgia State, Towson, UNCW, ODU, Northeastern, Drexel, Delaware
Home only (2 games): JMU, George Mason
Away only: (2 games): VCU, W&M

Sure, it's imbalanced, but the NFL's imbalanced every year and no one really complains, and it would at least probably be more interesting year-to-year than seeing the identical 10 vs. North + 6 vs. South conference schedule year after year.

That was the first season of a six season cycle, and the second cycle was aborted when teams left. Each team five permanent partners. Our partners were the other northern teams and UNCW. For the six teams a team is not permanent partners with, they played them home only twice, away only twice, and two games twice. Georgia State and ODU were other teams we played twice in 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. In 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 we played two of JMU, George Mason, VCU, and W&M twice; and in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 we played the other two twice.

After Monmouth joins, in our seasons from the America East through the CAA we will have been in the same conference as a team in every state on the east coast except for Rhode Island and Florida. Of the 22 teams in New York, 15 are currently in a conference with a New Jersey team. Syracuse used to be in the Big East with Rutgers. Fordham and St. Bonaventure (A10), Army and Colgate (Patriot), Buffalo (Mid-American), and us have not been with a New Jersey team at any time I remember. The America East teams weren't with a New Jersey team until New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) moved from the Atlantic Sun (playing teams in Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama) to the America East.

[Wags]

It's interesting how much the CAA has changed since Hofstra accepted the invitation to leave the America East and join the CAA.

The year before Hofstra, Delaware, Drexel and Towson started CAA play in 2001-02, there were nine teams in the CAA:

Richmond, UNCW, George Mason, VCU, William & Mary, ODU, JMU, East Carolina, American.

By next season, there only be TWO teams left from that 2000-01 season: UNCW and William & Mary.

[Polito]

For the positive I will say there are going to be some good / exciting games. For other people to watch lol.

In reality, this is terrible for HU. Heed my words. Hope you all enjoyed that tourney run 2 yrs ago. Anyone ready to take bets on whether SBU or Monmouth make the dance before HU after they join? You guys think they’re joining because they see the CAA as tough or weak enough to win? Lol

You know what it took for VT to join the ACC? Intervention from the GOVERNOR. You know why? Because UVA knew how dumb and bad it would be to help their in state rival and did their best to block it.

The facts that HUs admin voted for this only confirms how clueless they are to lead this program to the top. Not kidding, I’m losing interest in rooting for this program. They make it brutal to be a fan. I’m really over it.


And a 16 team mediocre at best mid major conf???!!??? Lol get the f outta here. That is beyond stupid. HU will literally never make the dance in some folks lifetimes.

This is literally only good for the CAA. HU needs a more challenging conf like it needs a hole in the head lol. Telling ya, you’ll see. If Speedy is smart he’ll bolt the first chance he gets. Better hope and pray he gets this teams sh1t together this year. Make the dance and jet. Not going to be any powerhouse forming in a watered down weak mid major conf.

And any of you thinking that Olympic sports matters at all in the financial collegiate landscape are lost. Means nothing. You prioritize for football and men’s hoops, that’s it, period.

You know what matters?? Making the friggin NCAAT on a consistent basis like Iona and Vermont. THATS how you succeed and make money. Not by making your road tougher and having 20+ year gaps. That’s pitiful. And get ready for way worse.

[Jojogunne]

Newsday has a story, titled "Stony Brook in negotiations to join CAA, where Hofstra competes."

Pretty much a rehash of everything we know. Says that a decision could come next week and that a stronger northern presence might move the CAA tournament to the USB Arena.

https://www.newsday.com/sports/college/ ... 1.50481959

[Wags]

a stronger northern presence might move the CAA tournament to the USB Arena.

I was going to mention this in a wishful thinking kind of way but I didn't bother for now because I didn't think the CAA might be willing to go that far north nor do I think they'd want to put the tourney in an arena that size. The arenas in Baltimore and D.C. were the right size for the CAA in recent years. I think that may very well still be the case going forward. But then again, with the fanbases of two Long Island teams instead of just one, plus adding a New Jersey team, and having a brand new arena, maybe the league could expect enough of a draw to hold the tourney there.

[Wags]

If Speedy is smart he’ll bolt the first chance he gets. Better hope and pray he gets this teams sh1t together this year. Make the dance and jet. Not going to be any powerhouse forming in a watered down weak mid major conf.

This is Speedy's dream job. It's a lot different when you starred at your alma mater than if you're someone like Wright (whose dream job was always Villanova long before he was even at UNLV) or Pecora (who always viewed Hofstra in the back of his head as a stepping-stone to something else later on). If given the chance you're talking about, I don't think there's a program in the nation that Speedy would want to remain successful at more than Hofstra because of his extremely personal link. Any other coach, I get what you're saying. But it's very different with Speedy.

As for the prospects of a 12-team league vs. now, it will make the path more difficult. For the fans following the regular season, it'll make that more interesting. The regular season was more fun in those days (not only because the competition was better and the league was stronger then), but because the regular season meant more - the regular-season battles for the top four spots to get a first-round bye were more fun than they are today, with teams only needing to get into the top six to get the bye now.

[joeg1]

Newsday article says Iona and Albany in the mix, too. I'd be on board for a CAA with SBU, Monmouth and Iona

[Wags]

Newsday article says Iona and Albany in the mix, too. I'd be on board for a CAA with SBU, Monmouth and Iona

SBU, Monmouth and Hampton are definites. I've seen rumors elsewhere about Albany, but still nothing concrete about them yet. I was wondering about Iona but they've had sustained success in the MAAC - moving to a weakened CAA vs. what the CAA used to be (with VCU, GMU, ODU) seems like a lateral move at best, maybe even a slight step down for them. I'm not sure why Iona would want that. They no longer have football, so not sure what the draw would be. CBS SportsNetwork? Flo Hoops? It doesn't seem like there's much of an advantage for them to join the CAA. As for the effect of adding Iona on Hofstra, no thanks - to Polito's point of making the path tougher, adding Iona would be one of the most hindering things Hofstra could face. After the final approval on SBU, Monmouth and Hampton next week, we'll probably start hearing more specific news on Albany and/or anyone else the CAA may be targeting.